September Mains`l
Transcription
September Mains`l
Journal of the YMCA Sailing Club, Canberra. September.2014. One of the new boats to come to the YMCA SC in the 2014-15 season. Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 1 1. 2. 3. 4. Find out more….. ( Contacts) Page 3. Editorial Page 3. Pre Season Check List. Page 5. New Race Mangemnt Arrangements Page 7. 1. Safety on the Water Page 8. 5. Training Squad Information Page 9. 6. Stand up Paddle Boards/Windsurfers Page 11. 7. Class and Division News Page 12. 8. ADFA/ANU to sail with the YMCA SC Page 14. 9. Class Profile. Maricat 4.3 & Pacers Page 15. 10. Now is the Time (to pay fees) Page 17. Figure 1A great start for the Model Yachts. Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 2 Rear Commodore, Communications Bill Arthur. e. [email protected] Race results, race calendar and upcoming regattas Adults and children’s Sailing Courses School Holiday Programs and Adventure Weeks VISIT: www.canberra.ymca.org.au/services/sail\ FACEBOOK https://aaa.facebook.com/YMCA.sailingclub?ref .Find out more about other YMCA of Canberra programs and services VISIT: www.canberra.ymca.org.au Class Website swww.sharpies.com.au;www.marcat.com .au; www.pacersailing.org.au; www.papertigercatamaran.org.au 2014-2015 Committee members Chief Instructor. Hamish Balfour. e. [email protected] Aquatic Recreation and Sailing Club Co-ordinator. Marc Ablett. e. [email protected] Committee Member Chris Lorimer Canberra Model Yachr Club Contact Graham Brown e. [email protected] YMCA CEO. Jenny McCombe. Commodore. Ron Thompson. e. [email protected] Secretary. James Clark. . Rear Commodore Sailing Alan Perry. Rear Commodore Marine Peter Warren. Rear Commodore, Catering. Jeanette Clark Mains’l. September/October 2014 W elcome to the 2014/2015 Sailing Season. Well, there is less than three weeks until we hit the water at the YMCA SC with the first of the Alternate races on September 27th. Two weeks before that on the 13th. There will be a working Bee to make sure that everything is ready to go for the 27th. Your Committee has been working hard in the off season to plan for a bumper sailing season for 2014-15. If you were a member of the Club last season you should have received a Page 3 Membership Pack in late July. This Pack included.. An invitation to join the YMCA SC for the 2014-15 sailing season. An explanation of the types of membership available The membership fees for the coming season and how to pay them on line An offer to members of the YMCA SC for discounted Gym membership at the YMCA Health and Fitness Centre in Chifley. The first draft of the YMCA SC Sailing program for Saturday and Tuesday night sailing for the 2014-15 season. A flyer about the Sail Training options that will be offered by the YMCA SC for the 2014-15 sailing season. The ADFA and ANU sailing Clubs have included our Championship series in their sailing calendar for this season. These Clubs were taking an increasing part in our Tuesday afternoon racing toward the end of last season. The Club has purchased some Stand Up Paddle Board/Sail Boards that will be hired to Club members and the general public. Stand up paddle boards are a good way of improving balance, core strength and upper body strength, all essential for sailing. The Aquatic Recreation Centre/Sailing Club Cocoordinator, Marc Ablett is organizing an Aquatic Recreation Centre Open Day on October 11th which will include a promotional day for Wetspot in the morning and the first round of the YMCA SC club Championship series in the afternoon The YMCA and Wetspot are marketing this day, so it will be a great opportunity to promote our Sport, Club and Classes we sail to a new group of people. This season the Club will be instituting a system of Class and Division Reps to liaise with the Sailing Committee and assist with the day to day running of the Club racing. Top Yacht has been replaced by Sailway that is apparently a more user friendly results program. The whole Mains’l. September/October 2014 system of recording from entry to completed results has been stream lined. Division reps will be helping with this process. I am looking forward to seeing daily results and cumulative series scores up on the Website and on Facebook in a timely manner in the coming season. Marc will be conducting an induction day for Division reps and interested members so that all involved in race organization are reading from the same script. As the season progresses indications are that there will be a number of new boats on the water and old boats with new owners on the water. I am looking forward to the coming Season. Bill Arthur. Mains’l editor. PT 3098 “Out of Sight” [email protected] Club Website. www.canberra.ymca.org.au/services/sail Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/YMCAsailingclub?r ef The following two articles were in the Paper Tiger News letter APT last August. I have received permission from the editor, Ralph Skea to use them in this issue of Mains’l. The first of the articles is Paper Tiger specific; however I think that all boat owners and crews will be able to use it as a thought provoker for their particular class of boat. Page 4 Broken wire strands or frayed rope (slug I hope they are useful. P re Season Check list for the Sailing Boat. DOLPHIN STRIKER Correct main beam pre-bend. Deformation of strap at attachment bolts or centre strut. Deformation of main beam at strap attachment bolts. Bent centre strut. BEAM BOLTS Loose bolts. Deformation of beam at bolts (beam won't sit flat on deck) TRANSOM AND PINTLES Loose pintles Bent pintles. Cracking or flexing of transoms around pintles. CENTREBOARD CASE Cracks at base of centrecase. Wear at lower back of centrecase. TRAMPOLINE AND CENTREBEAM Worn stitching. Damaged or loose attachment points. Bent or cracked centrebeam (especially at mainsheet block) Tension. HIKING STRAPS Correct and even strap tension. Broken stitching. Damage to strap at attachment points. Bent attachment fittings. TRAVELLER TRACK Damaged end stops. Loose track fastenings. Smooth operation of traveller car. HULL SURFACES Surface penetrating damage. Cracks, or blisters on foam hulls. RUDDER STOCKS Loose or bent bolts and rivets. Cracked frames. Worn and loose-fitting gudgeons. Splits in plastic universal joints. Worn blade pull-down ropes FOILS Cracking at high stress areas. Surface damage and chipped edges SAIL HALYARD Mains’l. September/October 2014 type) Cracks in halyard locking-ring (beak type) Smooth operation of halyard sheave. MAST HOUNDS Cracks or deformation of stay attachment hole. MAST BASE Cracking or deformation of mast. Cracks in mast spanner attachment point. MAST SPANNER Cracking or deformation. Bent or cracked attachment bolt. No sailing at the YMCA SC over the October Long Weekend (4-6) 2.5 hours drive west of Canberra thare is the Wagga Wagga Sailing Club. That weekend they hold their opening Regatta. Last season the program was two afternoon races Saturday, three Sunday and two Monday depending on the wind. A small sailing Club that must only JUST be the 2nd friendliest Sailing Club in Australia. An opportunity to get in a solid block of sailing ready for the first heat of the YMCA SC Championships. Further details when the NOR is to hand. Page 5 GOOSENECK Condition of sail track slug. Deformation of mast at gooseneck position. STAYS AND THIMBLES Broken or corroded wire strands. Cracked or distorted thimbles. SHACKLES Cracks or distortion. BLOCKS Damaged sheaves. Smooth operation of sheaves. Effective operation of ratchet block. CLEATS Worn cam teeth. Smooth operation of cams. Cracked fairleads. ROPES AND WIRES Broken or corroded wire strands. Frayed ropes, especially where cleated. Swollen mainsheet. SAIL __________70.21Worn stitching. Shroud damage to sail batten pockets. Batten condition. Batten tension. Frayed or missing sail telltales. CORROSION Anywhere stainless steel and aluminium are in contact . The U bolts holding the axle for damage and loose nuts. Tyre deterioration from standing idle. Tyre pressures, including the spare. Loose wheel nuts. Rust runs are an indicator. Wheel bearings for slop or dry running. They should be serviced annually if not used regularly. Trailer coupling for smooth operation and tightness of fit on the tow ball. Safety chain attachment and shackle for cracks. Lights operating correctly. Keep a spare of each globe type in the car. Brakes (if fitted) for correct operation. Condition of support padding Condition of boat tie-down straps and anchor points. Condition of mast supports. Of course having everything in top condition won't matter much if the trailer isn't correctly coupled to the vehicle, the safety chain attached and the lights plugged in. Now, Don’t forget the Tailer!!!! If the plan is to travel to PT events around the country this coming season, it may be a good idea to spend a little time making sure the trusty transporter will get your pride and joy there and back in one piece. Things to check:The condition of the frame for rust or cracks. The condition of the springs. The shackles holding the springs for wear and loose bolts. Mains’l. September/October 2014 N ew Sign On System This season as a club we are developing a new sign on/sign off system that will hopefully allow us as a club to be more accountable for race fees and also provide a much simpler way of tracking everybody. Firstly for Saturdays it is imperative that every skipper fills out a boat registration form and every crew fills out a crew registration form. These forms can both be found on-line or in the race office on race days. Page 6 Next thing is entry fees, as you will be aware when you purchase your membership online you are able to pay for a seasons race fees. This way you are using a cashless system when you arrive at the club on Saturdays or Tuesdays. Alternatively you are able to pay on the day (fees available online and membership pack). Now as you can see in the past it has been quite difficult to keep track of who has paid and who has filled in forms. So we have developed a new way of signing on. Zip-lock sign on bags Once you have filled in your details, you will be allocated a zip-lock bag. In this bag will be all your details: Boat registration Crew registration Season Race Fees (identified by a redcard in your bag) If you haven’t paid season entry and you don’t have a red card, you will need to pay the appropriate amount into the bag before putting it in the “Signed On” box. Race Office Set-up At the race office each Saturday you will see 2 boxes on the counter, one box will be full of the zip-lock sandwich bags with each boats’ personal information. When you sign on you will simply grab you bag full of information and put it into the 2nd box which indicates you have signed on and will be sailing. It’s as simple as that. What happens if I don’t do this or don’t have the appropriate payment in my bag? Unfortunately you will not have a result recorded until you pay. Mains’l. September/October 2014 Results Software After years of battling with Top Yacht results software we have now invested some time into finding a new results system, to get fast effective results, easy data entry and on to the internet quickly for everyone to see. We have chosen Sailwave. Extremely simple process and once your boat has been entered for the season, it is as easy as simply entering your time in the allocated race and clicking “calculate results” The thing about this now is that it will be up to each division to enter their own results at the end of the days racing. This will take approximately between 5-10mins for each division depending on the number of boats. So to improve efficiency we will have 2 computers set up downstairs with Sailwave. So basically just grab, the times off the Race Officer for the day and enter them and print them off. It’s that easy. Induction Day Given that we have made a few changes to how the club is run, we will be holding an induction day on the morning of the 27th of September, the morning of our first race day. This will include how we set-up the race office on any given day. A brief overview of our new simple results system and correct powerboat launch and retrieval procedures. Also those wishing to help Janette in the canteen this season we will also be taking you through the processes in the canteen under instruction by Janette. Page 7 This day is open to everyone and we hope to see you all down there to make Saturdays and club activities run like clockwork. Marc of the day, and giving an up-date of the conditions. Safety Boat Course is encouraged for all members. Safety Boat Course We have our first safety boat course at our club on the 25th and 28th of September. SAFETY ON THE WATER T he last 12 months have provided a stark reminder that our sport while being enjoyable, fast, exhilarating and competitive also has inherent dangers associated with it. The Americas Cup unfortunate drowning incidents involving Andrew “Bart” Simpson and the 18ft Skiff incident involving David Hansa have given the sailing community a different perspective on safety. As a club and committee we have come up with a few solutions to counter any of these ever happening at our club. Powerboats will now have safety knifes mounted on them All boats with either a trampoline or trapeze will be required to carry a safety knife on board Special belts will be carried on the powerboats by a member of the crew containing a knife and wire cutters A briefing amongst the rescue boat crews for the day will commence at 1pm each race day, assessing conditions and competitors for the day A competitors briefing will take place at 1:15pm for running through the format Mains’l. September/October 2014 3 Hour theory on Thursday night 3 Hour practical on Sunday morning We are really encouraging people to sign-up online for this course, it is a fun course learning proper rescue techniques for different classes of boats and what to do in an emergency. It is partially subsidised by the club and the cost of the course is $60. You can sign up on-line at https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Registe r.aspx?E=13703 Or through our website: http://www.canberra.ymca.org.au/sailing/cour ses/Pages/Course-Calendar-2014-15.aspx Lets all enjoy what is looking like a fantastic season safely. Cheers……………. Executive Committee Page 8 Y outh Squad I am hoping everyone has received their info/membership pack that has all our seasons’ info in it. This year we are really looking at building our success and have a strong pathway from our learn to sail programs through to our racing program. Our Youth Squad has been building and is at a very high level. We are looking for some more kids to stand up this season and be a part of this squad. Ask any of the kids who have done it in the past 2 seasons and they will tell you what it has done for their sailing and the doors it has opened in the sport for them. This is an invitational squad and you must have completed your level 3 Better sailing course to be considered. That course will be on the October long weekend from the 4-6 of October. Register Now online registration link https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Regis ter.aspx?E=13609 Or go to: http://www.canberra.ymca.org.au/sailing/deve lopmentsquad/Pages/default.aspx for more info. What you’re going to be expecting from the juniors in the upcoming sailing season The YMCA “Youth Squad” is a group of sailors of ages varying between13-16 years of age with a level 3 certificate or higher. The main training class is the 125 sailing dinghy which is a double handed sailing dinghy that includes a trapeze, symmetrical spinnaker and an adjustable rig. Other dinghys in the “Youth Squad” include a 29er, 470, Sharpie and a Contender. Skills include roll tacking/gybing, spinnaker handling, trapezing, tactical maneuvers, wind and water reading, rig setup, racing skills, and boat maintenance. Other YMCA sailing members should experience racing a “Youth Squad” sailor in almost every division as the youth squad trains every Tuesday night and races every Saturday (pointscore/championship). We are fired up for the upcoming season… Thomas Young Learn To Race Squads A new initiative by the club to bridge the gap and make the step up to club racing less intimidating for newcomers. Anyone is able to sign-up for this, you are able to pay for a full season $400, half season $200, these include all race fees for Tuesday nights and race fees for our championship race days. Alternatively if you can’t commit to at least 2 thirds of the sessions you can pay for each individual session at $20 which includes the boat hire, if you have your own boat it is $10. Kids Sessions will be run on Mondays from 4:30-6-30pm Adults will be Fridays from 5-7pm Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 9 During the daylight saving period. It is encouraged that all participants of these squads try and participate on Tuesday Twilights as it is a great way to get time on the water in a low pressure fun environment. This then leads on to the fun of Saturday racing. TUESDAY TWILIGHT Tuesdays this season will take on a similar format to last season, with it taking on a slightly more formal racing format. Racing will begin at 6pm, it is encouraged that most people get there around 5 to reserve a boat and register. We hope to hold a briefing for the new sailors to the club and then get out on the water. Last season we had huge success with Tuesdays and were getting regularly over 30 boats towards the end of the season. We may even look at having a results series for the Twilights. We will need help on these nights as especially when the easterly kicks hard we need some more rescue boats on the water, if anyone can help that would be awesome and let Marc know in the office. Fees for Tuesdays will be $10 for members and $15 for Non-members (sos ign up for membership and enjoy the perks) Boat Storage It has been very busy for Boat storage early in this membership cycle. With the lack of quality storage available around the lake we have been inundated with calls about canoe and kayak storage and are now full to the brim on the top level. Mains’l. September/October 2014 We have also seen a large increase in Juniors and families storing their boats. The best part of this is they will be used regularly for Tuesday and Saturday racing. We are getting to the stage now where if you want to keep your boat stored in the club you must be sailing regularly or your spot will be given to someone who does. We also had to remove several boats out of there that haven’t paid for many seasons. So it is imperative that you keep up to date with your fees. It also begs the question do we need to invest in more storage? Well that question is on the table for the executive and if you have any thoughts on the matter, please let your committee know. Cheers Marc S UP (Stand Up Paddleboards) & Windsurfers are Now In the club So with some exciting news the sailing club has now purchased 4 Stand Up Paddleboard and beginner windsurfer kits to enhance our experience within the club. These units are hoped to provide great diversity within our learn to sail programs. Now with the option if we are stuck with a “no wind” session or an “extreme wind” session we can use the paddle boards to create fun activities for the kids and adults alike. Page 10 These will be available to members at $20 per hour and are of the highest quality and latest technology. both customers and the club will get great use from it. So get together in a group and have a paddle. Some basic private windsurfing lessons are also available to get you going. These units will be available by early October. So if you want to use these please contact Marc in the office and we can arrange times of use, they will also be available whenever club activities are on, such as: Monday LTR (Learn To Race): 4:30-6:30pm 4.3 Catamarans I t was really good to see the “old” white haired fellow dominate the results in the 4.3 Catamaran Class last season, Alan Perry proved the maxim of “Consistency gets Results” in sailing. Tuesday Twilight: 5-7pm Friday LTR(Learn To Race): 57pm Saturday Racing:2-5pmm The 4.3 fleet in last year;’ Multi Hull Regatta. Cost: $20 (must be a member of the sailing club) W etspot Water sports are Canberra’s number one Water sports store and are committed to growing Water sports in the Canberra area and in particular on the lakes and rivers within our city. We are proud to be working with the YMCA as they undertake this step to teach two sports, stand up paddling and windsurfing, that we are passionate about and ideally suited to the lake. The gear we are supplying represents some of the quality brands we stock and we trust that Mains’l. September/October 2014 Yes it was a good year for the 4.3 metre cat division last season. We had a total of 10 boats take part in the seasons racing with Alan Perry taking out the premier position in the Championship series. It was good to see Sam Reid, Jonathon Muller and Matt Thompson all made improvements through the season. Matt took on board advice gained in the Milti Hull Regatta in October last season and was sailing his Alpha Omega very well as the season drew to a close in March April. Jonathan Muller acquired a new 4.3 Windrush with decent rudders and a jib which has made taking and other manoeuvres much easier for him. Sam Reid has to have full marks for enthusiasm with his 4.3 Hobie cat. Looking forward to the new season there is the possibility of the 4.3 fleet to grow to 12 or thirteen boats. I know Matt is doing a major Page 11 refurbishment of his Alpha Omega cat which should see him giving the class leaders some hurry up around the course. As Jonathan and Sam come to terms with their boats, they will bring themselves up toward the rest of the fleet. There will be another Paper Tiger in the fleet to join “Out of Sight”. Nick Weight a UC architecture student has purchased a PT from Victoria and hopes to have it ready for the opening of the season in October. In January 2015 Wagga Wagga PT sailor, Rohan Nicol will be moving to Wagga Wagga with his boat “Pussyfoot”. They won the NSW PT titles held in January this year. The already competitive 4.3 cat fleet is set to get even more competitive over the coming sailing season. The major Club event for the 4.3 Cats (apart from the Club Championship) will be the Mulyi Hull Regatta that will be held over the weekend of October 18 and 19. This event usually attracts a good fleet of Maricats and Paper Tigers. Indications are that there will be a fleet of Wetta Trimarans attending as well. Our challenge will be to encourage more of the bigger cats to take part in the event. New Sails for a New Season. R on Thompson is making a long awaited return to Pacer sailing this season. The following are his comments on the up coming sailing season for the Pacers The Club Pacers this season have benefited by the purchase of three new sets of sails to replace the very tired & worn training sails that are well & truly past their prime. The new sails have arrived at the club already. For those people thinking of racing a Pacer this season, it may be worthwhile to get in early & lease a Pacer for the season for race days so that you can have the same Pacer each week. I will be back on the water this season in a club Pacer & will try to give everyone a little bit of competition. Good sailing, Ron Dr Ron Thompson Commodore YMCA of Canberra Sailing Club m) 041 929 1181 Bill Arthur Huge Season for Sharpies. Pacer Dinghy News. Mains’l. September/October 2014 Rumor Mill in Overdrive. Page 12 W ell it’s almost here, one of the biggest seasons for Sharpies that Canberra will ever see. With an already strong local fleet bolstered by the fact the NSW/ACT division is hosting this year’s Nationals from Georges River Sailing club should produce some of the best club racing we have seen. from the Y. Lastly the first round of State Titles at the gong in November 29th/30th. Guys it’s going to be a massive season so get on board the wave and enjoy the ride. Saturday club racing should be well attended with any time on the water invaluable. The Prawns will be regulars this season on Saturdays with Karl A lot of work behind the scenes committing to sailing over has been going on to ensure that this season working Saturdays which is great, Mick Denny will be a success on and off the water, a lot of has lost a tonne of weight and is down to 80kgs, time and effort has been put in to make sure expecting big things this season, with the boat we put on a show when the rest of Australia having a major overhaul during winter and th comes to Sydney in December 28-January 5 . some new sails purchased. Jack and the Mole The ACT division has been instrumental in train on the Irish frog have been spotted in the setting this regatta up, with people like Mary gym regularly and are mountain biking a couple Tulip, Michael Forster, Andrew of times a week, if Moley can Forster, Ian Ritchie, Max & Kev stay on his bike and stay out Rosenbaum, Chris Ablett and of emergency ward these guys Grant Warner leading the charge will be big improvers. The from the nation’s capital. Just Smoky Forster brothers will shows what great people we be at it again and the rumour have in our club as a sharpie mill has been buzzing around nationals’ is far from simple to the return of rockstar Ben organise due to the history of Phillips for some regattas and these events. I suggest anyone nationals, the terms of his Smoke smokin' who has never been to a major contract are yet to be Sharpie regatta get on a boat determined with “flipper” and get to Georges River on apparently swapping Botany Bay to experience what management to “Buddy” this class is all about. Franklins celebrity manager to ensure he gets the best deal. Mary Tulip has been hard at it So as for the local scene sailing wise this getting Bling sorted out, one of the big off season, we have a busy schedule with a number season trades has been Eric Hines from “The of regattas before Christmas. 2 one day events Chilli Factor” to the Bling team, should provide at Georges River in October and December as plenty of grunt in the middle. The Chilli team warm ups for the titles. We have the ACT has been quiet in the off season but no doubt dinghy titles this year hosted by the CYC on the Grant and Kip will put a good team together for 15th/16th of November, however all YMCA the season. Derek the Loaded Dog has got a supported classes are going to be launching Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 13 few options on his list but as to who’s sailing with the great man is a mystery, word is Russell Crowe might be making some guest appearances after the Rabbitohs win the Premiership. Kev was talking about doing some maintenance on Sheet Faced but surprisingly nothing has happened, but who knows what will happen come early October, Bruce and Andrew Comber will be looking to build on their big season from last year. Another rumour and pre-season signing is that of 2.4 class legend Michael Leydon to the ‘Ma Cherie” team, Michael has a bit of history in sharpies and is looking forward to getting back on the stick to send Ian and crew back up the leader board. The “uni guys” have been making some pretty positive noises about competing in this year’s nationals with hopefully 2 boats coming out of the ANU stable, we hope to see Anton and team get together and put a solid campaign in. There is no lack of talent across the Yarralumla Bay ditch, so watch out. Steve Hart and the “rocket” will be on the water with rumours exploding that young Sammy Horn has been signed up from GT3 and having a run in the middle for Steve, Harry will be swinging hard and look out for these blokes in a blow. We are hoping to see these guys regularly on Saturday arvos now Steve is running the show down the other end. Matt Owen may get out and about in Shake “N” Bake for a couple of regattas over the season and we hope to see him having a crack. Matty Jones has been MIA for a while and we really hope to see the “Too Easy Virtue” ship back on the water this season. John Truelove and Sericuda has been MIA too, but rumours are around he may be fired up to have another crack we hope to see him on the water again soon. In the Major news of the preseason, gun Junior Blake Molyneaux has purchased Mr. Freeze (using Daryls cheque book) with the intention of sailing the back half Mains’l. September/October 2014 of the season, these youngsters are concentrating on the 125 Championship in Tumby Bay South Australia before Christmas but we hope to see them at a couple of regattas pre-Christmas. So with a lot of boats on the water this season we hope to have some sensational racing and provide some genuine spectator appeal in the big breezes spring often brings. We are intending on holding Sharpie meeting in early September at the club so anyone that is sailing sharpies this season or wishing to have a ride on them come along and have a beverage as we discuss the fleet’s plans for the season. Date will be advised ASAP. Cheers……Marc T oward the end of the last sailing season boats from the ADFA and ANU sailing clubs were regularly competing with the YMCA SC fleet in their Tuesday Twilight Races. Over the winter Marc Ablett has been talking with the two Clubs encouraging them to increase their participation in YMCA SC events. Page 14 As a result the ANU and ADFA Sailing Clubs will be using our Championship series for their programme this coming season. This will mean more boats on the water for those days during the season. This will add to the buzz of activity around our Club. They will continue to support our Tuesday Twilight Sailing series. There should also be a spill over to some of our Point Score and Alternate races as well. Both Clubs have Tasers and similar craft which will add a depth to our fleet. It will certainly be good to see how the new arrangement works and to see the numbers of the Saturday fleet increasing. Cheers Marc Ablett T he Maricat is an Australian designed “off the beach” catamaran. The boat was originally designed by Alan Mayer as a 14 footer in the mid 70's in conjunction with Claude McCullock. Claude had a “build your own boat” factory, Sea Mac Boats, where Alan produced the prototype. About 100 or so of the original 14 footers were built before some major modifications were undertaken to produce the now famous banana shaped hulls that are synonymous with the Maricat 4.3m. The name of the boat came from Claude's wife ‘Mari'. The original boat plans are now held by the National Maritime Museum and form part of Australia’s marine architectural history. For a number of years the boats where manufactured in Haberfield NSW by J & S Fiberglass (Jeff Simmonds) until the company's demise in 1982. The manufacturing rights where then taken over some time later by Mariglass (Richard Ward) who remained in the Haberfield factory until the mid-nineties. The manufacturing rights now belong to Ross Guinea who is located in Brisbane at Brisbane Catamaran Centre. About 25, 5.0m variants of the boat with centerboards were also built over the years, there are now very few of these boats remaining. Nick Ward has prepared this class profile of the popular 4.3 Maricat. The Maricat Catamaran Mains’l. September/October 2014 Originally the boat was promoted as "the comfortable catamaran" due to the seamless transition between the trampoline and hulls of the boat. The basic asymmetrical banana shape of the Maricat 4.3 hulls have not altered over the years. As the popularity of the boat increased small modifications where made in keeping with Page 15 the boats one-design origins. For example, the rear beam and the traveler track were integrated into one extrusion and a one-piece trampoline replaced the original two piece one laced up the middle with the later boats being designated as Mark II Maricats. Initially the boats had a small cruising jib however, this was also replaced with a larger racing jib. The racing jib made the sloop rigged cat (sailed 2 up) competitive and as a result introduced large numbers of sailors to catamaran sailing. The boats were also well known for their multi-coloured sails. In the early and mideighties, a racing fleet of eighty plus Maricats was not uncommon. Over the years a number of sailors including names such as Darren Bundock, Steve Brewin, and Mitch Booth who have subsequently gone on to win Olympic medals and World Championships sailing Tornado and A-class catamarans learnt to sail on the Maricat. Darren and Steve have both returned to sail the boat again at National titles in more recent years, and yes they won convincingly. information on what to look for when buying a boat, tuning and rigging http://www.maricat.com.au/ Nick Ward 5605 “Cat a Clysm” Pacer Information T he Pacer dinghy has been the mainstay of our Club’s training fleet for many years. It has introduced many adults and children to the fascinating sport of sailing. Last season the Gray family took two Pacers to the Australian Pacer Championships in Adelaide with considerable success. This season we are looking forward to seeing Ron Thompson back on the water in one of these boats. The two Jo’s will continue their sailing in Pacers as well . I have taken the following basic information about the Pacers from the class website. I hope that it at least refreshes every ones memories about these great little boats. Bill A The Pacer is a 3.8m one design sloop rigged In 2005 a number of changes were made to the material used in the manufacture and equipment fitted to the boat to bring the class into the modern era. Whilst the design of the boat remained fundamentally unchanged, the changes included the introduction of radial cut sails, and foam sandwich instead of glass construction of the hulls. To date some 3500 or so Maricat’s have been built. family dinghy, complete with spinnaker. The The boat can be sailed in three configurations; cat rigged (main sail only - 1 up), sloop (jib and main sail - 2 up), and super-sloop (1 up with jib, main and a trapeze). The majority of Maricat’s sailed at the YMCASC are sailed in the supersloop configuration. attractive yachts on the water. Pacer is the ideal performance family yacht, it has a lightweight hull, capable of high planing speed. Its wide beam and not excessive amount of sail allows this performance to be had by husband/wife or parent/child. It is safe and stable as well as being one of the most Pacers are easily built using the stitch and glue method, assisted by a jig to create an accurate hull shape. It can also be purchased in low maintenance fibreglass. The Pacer is light The ACT/NSW Maricat is still very active with State and National Titles being held in each sailing season. Whilst the fleet numbers aren’t as high as those in the mid-eighties these titles still attract fleets of 20 and 30 boats. The association’s website is a useful resource for those interested in the class with a wealth of Mains’l. September/October 2014 enough for two people to lift and may be cartopped for transportation. Many clubs and sailing schools use Pacers as their training fleets, they are ideal for beginners Page 16 and experienced alike and are sailed by all ages. They may be rowed or fitted with a small outboard motor, a great family all-rounder. Pacers are used for the "Epiglass Australian Secondary School Teams Racing Championships" the "Australian University Games Team Racing" and the "Australian F1 Grand Prix Interschool Challenge Teams You have read what is coming up for the new sailing season that starts on the 27th. September. If I have done my job right you are all enthused ready to sail. So..... go to the YMCA SC website at www.canberra.ymca.org.au/services/sail and follow the links to join your club for the coming sailing season. Racing". Length overall 3.8m Beam 1.5m Mast height 5.6m The types of membership options and applicable fees were in the Membership Pack mailed to you in July. If you have mislaid that package the information is on the sailing club’s website. As for last season the Sailing Club is using Register Now for joining the Club, paying race fees and shed storage fees on line. The process has been stream line a little from last season and should be easy to follow. If you have any problems email Marc at [email protected] If you don’t want to use Register Now, fees can be paid at the Club Minimum Hull Weight 59kg Mainsail 6.0m2 Sail Area Jib 1.9m2 Spinnaker 7.4m2 Pacer Action B at the Team Racing Regatta March 2014 The Pacer website is www.pacersailing.org.au Mains’l. September/October 2014 y being a member of the YMCA Sailing Club this season you will be entitled to a fantastic BONUS!!!! This year the Sailing Club can offer its members discounted Gym Membership to their Gym located at their Healy=th abd Fitness Centre in Chiffley. The information is in your membership pack with details of the types of membership available and what they cover. The Discount is 50% off the marked prices shown in the information sheet. Page 17 One way of improving your on water performance is to make sure your body can cope with the stresses of sailing. Just another reason to Re New your Membership NOW!!!!! Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 18 The October Cat R C o and me Next Issue of Mains’l is due out at the end of November. The Deadline for d frendships anntastic contributions will be November 15th. Please send your contributions to [email protected] Mains’l. September/October 2014 Page 19